Please Save My Baby!
by Foxy527
Summary: A child is kidnapped and the motive appears to be ransom. But all isn't as it seems in the beginning. As Steve and the team begin to unravel clues, Steve must begin to work through some of his own demons. There is a possibility for a new romance between Steve and an OC. We'll see how it plays out. Rated "T" for now due to language, but may change to an "M" later. As usual
1. Chapter 1

**A child is kidnapped and the motive appears to be ransom. But all isn't as it seems in the beginning. As Steve and the team begin to unravel clues, Steve must begin to work through some of his own demons.**

 **There is a possibility for a new romance between Steve and an OC. We'll see how it plays out.**

 **Rated "T" for now due to language, but may change to an "M" later.**

 **As usual, reviews are welcome! Let me know what you think!**  
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Steve looked at the caller ID on his phone. _Governor Denning_.

He grimaced…..So much for a day off.

"McGarrett," he answered.

"Commander, I'm sorry to interrupt your day off, but we have a situation."

"What kind of situation?"

"A 5-year old has been kidnapped and I want your team on the case. Her name is Kiera Carlyle. She was taken from her school playground this morning."

"In broad daylight?" Steve was surprised. That move was bold and a sure indication the kidnappers were pros. "Okay…..so what else can you tell me?"

"I don't want to discuss it over the phone. Get your team together and meet me at your office in an hour."

Steve was intrigued. It was rare for the governor to visit personally to give details on a case.

Turning his truck around and heading towards the Palace, he called the rest of the team to brief them. No one was happy about giving up their first Friday off in literally months, but duty called. They all felt the urgency upon hearing a child was involved.

Steve and Danny arrived at the same time. "So what do you know?" Danny asked as he exited his Camaro.

"Nothing more than what I told you. A child was kidnapped from her playground in broad daylight. The governor's going to meet us here to tell us what's going on."

"Here?" Danny asked, his curiosity mirroring Steve's.

Steve gave a quick nod of his head. "That's what he said…That's all I know."

They walked into HQ and found Junior and Lou around the smart table.

"What do we have?"

"Not much," Junior replied. "I was able to pull up Kiera's school information and find out her mother's name. Since we don't know exactly what's going on, I didn't want to send up too many red flags by asking questions too early."

"Good thinking," Danny said. "So what do we know about the mother?"

"She's MIA. We're still trying to locate her," Lou answered just as Junior pulled a picture up on the board for all to see.

"Wait…so does she even know her daughter is missing?" Steve asked.

"That's what we need to find out. Maybe Governor Denning can give us some insight when he gets here." Lou said a little impatiently as he looked at his watch for the tenth time that hour.

Tani walked into HQ and looked at the screen. "Oh, my God. That's Ana Leigh!"

All eyes turned toward the screenshot of the woman's driver's license with the name Leeann Carlyle listed.

"No…..it says _Leeann Carlyle_." Junior corrected. "Looks like her address is on the North Shore."

"I can see it's what's on the license, Junes, " Tani continued, "but _**that**_ is most definitely Ana Leigh."

All eyes turned towards her. "Who is Ana Leigh?" Steve asked.

Tani looked at them in disbelief. " _ **Who is Ana Leigh?**_ " she repeated. "Are you kidding me? Ana Leigh has been on the New York Times Best Sellers list for the last year and a half. How is it possible you have not heard of her? I mean _where_ have you been? "

Danny's face exhibited his well-known expression of utter confusion. "Never heard of her," he said. "So what does she write? Cookbooks? Biographies? Self-help mumbo jumbo…What?"

No one missed the slight blush on her face and neck. "Uh…..no…..not exactly."

"So what does she write?" Steve pressed again.

"Novels," Tani answered as she shuffled her feet somewhat nervously.

Steve's eyes squinted as he looked at her. "Go on."

She let out a long sigh, "Fictional novels…..okay? They're sort of…ummmmm….well…..They may be a little… _erotic_ …..in nature."

All four men's eyebrows rose as if in sync with each other.

"Erotic novels, huh?" Danny asked.

"Yes." She confirmed without saying anything else.

"So you've _read_ these erotic novels, I take it?" Steve asked as he grinned at her and folded his arms in front of his broad chest.

These guys…..They loved giving her a hard time.

" **Maybe**! But what does it matter?!" She sound exasperated which made all of them chuckle. "We have more pressing issues at hand, right? What do we know about the girl?" she said trying to get them to re-focus.

Governor Denning and his security detail chose that moment to walk in and make their way to the group.

Steve turned in his direction as he pointed at the picture in front of them. "So who is it, Governor? _Leeann Carlyle_ or _Ana Leigh_?"

Governor Denning approached the table. "Both," he answered.

"What do you mean, _**both**_?" Danny said. "It's either one or the other."

"Her legal name is Leeann Carlyle. However, her _pen name_ …..the one she publishes under…. is Ana Leigh. Her father is an old friend of mine. Leeann is his only child and Kiera his only grandchild. I don't have to tell you that time is of the essence to find them both."

"Ok, so what else do we need to know?" Steve asked sensing there was **much** more to the story.

"Leeann's father is the head of the Southwest NCIS Division. Her husband, Travis, was a Navy SEAL named…."

Recollection suddenly hit Steve as he finished the sentence, "Travis Carlyle." All eyes turned to him and Governor Denning turned his full attention towards Steve.

"Yes. So you understand why I needed _your team_ on this," Denning confirmed quietly. "Finding Leeann and Kiera safely is of utmost importance. This family has already lost enough."

Danny raised his hand, "So for those of us who are _still_ totally confused, care to fill us in on what the hell is going on?"

"Travis Carlyle was one of the Navy's best snipers," Steve explained. "I can't tell you his number of kills, but he was up there with Chris Kyle."

Lou's eyebrows shot up again. "Chris Kyle as in the 'American Sniper'?"

"Yes…..He was killed three years ago on an Op that went wrong. That's all I can tell you."

"Let me guess….it's _classified._ " Danny said sarcastically.

"It **was** ," Denning began, "but now you need to know whatever you can to find the girls." He released a breath before shooting a 'look' to Steve and continuing. "Travis was part of a team deployed to bring down Khalil Assad. And while I can't share all details of the mission, what resulted was that Travis and most of his team were killed…..but not before they had burned $3 million U.S. Dollars in drug money and a stash of weapons Assad's team had piled up. It was a huge loss to them financially."

"So if Carlyle and most of his team are gone, why come after his daughter and wife?" Lou asked. "What do they hope to accomplish?"

"Leeann has become a very wealthy woman since Travis' death." Denning explained. "I believe they are coming after Kiera in an attempt to get to _her_ …..and recover financially."

Everyone felt the weight of the moment. This one was serious.

"How long has Kiera been gone?" Steve asked.

"Four hours," Governor Denning said. "She was taken from the playground during 'drop off' at 8 o'clock this morning…..Right after Leeann dropped her off, so they were _watching_."

"And what about Leeann?" Tani asked.

"No one knows where she is. She isn't answering calls from any of us." Denning said sadly.

Steve clapped his hands together. "Okay…..so we have a baby girl as one victim that we know of…and possibly another. I want a trace on Leeann's cell. If it bumps off of ANY cell tower today, I want to know!" Turning towards Governor Denning he said, "Call Leeann's dad. If he **knows** anythin _g_ …If he's **heard** anything…..we _need to know_!"

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 **This is a short "first chapter", so I'm just wondering what you think. Would you like to read more? What do you think so far?**


	2. Chapter 2

I've already tried to call him," Denning said. "He's not answering"

"Well, **someone** in this damn family needs to answer their phone!" Lou bellowed not caring for a second that he was talking to the Governor of Hawaii. A baby's life was at stake and he felt the urgency in his heart...….just like when Samantha had been kidnapped by Ian Wright. "So let's keep trying!"

"Got a lock on LeeAnn's cell phone!" Junior said.

Steve looked towards the governor as he pointed to his cell phone. "Call her again. Let's hope she answers this time."

The governor did so without question. As soon as LeeAnn answered, they put the call on speaker for all to hear.

"LeeAnn, where are you?" he asked.

"Sam?! Oh my, God…..They _took my baby!_!" LeeAnn cried.

"I know, honey…..I **know**. And we're going to do _everything we can_ to get her back. But you have to tell me where you are!"

"I am going to get my baby girl…..That's all I can tell you," she replied. "I will be DAMNED if they take my husband AND my child!"

"I understand," Governor Denning said as he tried to calm her down, "but you have to let my team handle this. They are the BEST….I promise you, they will get Kiera back!"

"TRAVIS was one of ' _ **the best**_ ' too and look what happened to him!" she said sadly. "This is between me and them. Do you hear me, Sam? I will get her back by….She is **my** baby! If I get anyone else involved they will **kill** her!"

"Leeann, this is Commander Steve McGarrett with Five-0. I understand you want to get Kiera back, but if you go alone, we're going to be rescuing BOTH of you. You can't do this alone. Do you understand me? I need for you to come in and let _my_ **team** get her back."

Leeann was silent as she contemplated what he said. He was right….Of course, she knew that: Going up against Assad and his team alone was a suicide mission but she was desperate to get to Kiera before they hurt her.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that, Commander."

Steve saw a signal from Jerry indicating they had been able to get a lock on her phone.

"Send HPD to **_pull her over_** ," he said quietly. "We'll meet them and take it from there."

As soon as Jerry gave a nod of confirmation, Steve spoke to Governor Denning…..very quietly. "We have her," he whispered. "We'll pick her up, bring her in, and talk."

Denning looked somewhat skeptical.

"You called ME to do this job, Sir" Steve whispered firmly. "So _**trust me**_ to get it done." Steve put a hand on Denning's shoulder.

Governor Denning nodded and conceded. "You're right. Please get them back."

"We'll do what we can, sir. I promise."

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Less than five minutes later, Leeann's SUV was surrounded by HPD officers who were forcing her to pull over. Duke exited his vehicle and began to approach the driver's side. Guns were drawn but only because they had no idea what lengths she would go to in order to get away from them. Chances were good that she had weapons in the vehicle if she was intending some kind of rescue for her daughter.

"Hands where I can see them, Ms Carlyle" Duke ordered. " and please exit the vehicle."

"Are you frigging kidding me? You're _arresting_ me? For what?!"

"You aren't under arrest, ma'am. We just need you to exit the vehicle so we can take you to Five-0 headquarters."

"By whose orders?" she fumed.

"Commander McGarrett's, ma'am." Duke said trying to be patient.

"You can tell Commander McGarrett he can **kiss my ass**!" she said. He would have chuckled if the situation wasn't so serious…..After all, no one told Steve to 'kiss their ass'. She obviously didn't know who she was dealing with. "You don't understand," she continued. "I **have** to get to my daughter!"

He hoped like hell Steve was there soon. The last thing he wanted to do was forcibly restrain her when he knew the desperation, fear, and emotional pain she was in at that moment. After all, his granddaughter had been kidnapped less than a year ago and Five-0 had secured her safe return.

Hoping to buy them some time, Duke holstered his weapon and began to talk to her.

"Actually, I **do** understand. I know exactly what you're going through. I was in a situation just like this several months ago. McGarrett and his team got my granddaughter back. You can't have anyone better on your side."

Duke heard sirens in the background and looked quickly to see Steve and Danny approaching. Steve threw the Camaro into park and quickly exited with his weapon drawn as well.

"Get out of the car, LeeAnn," he ordered. "We're going to help you, but you need to get out of the car. **_Right...NOW_**!"

"Subtle as always, I see," Danny muttered. Steve grimaced but stayed firm.

"I'm NOT getting out of this car!" she spat.

"You're getting out one way or the other," Steve answered. "I'm giving you the choice…Are we going to do this the easy way or hard way?"

Leeann and Steve engaged in a stare down that had even Danny admiring her spunk. She certainly didn't feel threatened.

Steve began to approach the driver's side door. As he got closer, he holstered his weapon and put his hands up to signify he meant her no harm. He softened his tone. "I'm going to help you, Leeann. " he promised. "But we're wasting time. I need for you to get out so we can talk. _**Please.**_ "

Danny's eyebrows shot up in surprise. _Steve actually said 'Please'?_

When Leeann still didn't budge, Steve opened up the door. Leeann launched herself at him by shoving him as hard as she could before she began to run. Shoving Steve was equivalent to trying to push down a brick wall, but she would not be deterred. Leeann had no idea where she was going…..She just wanted to get away. She got no more than 3 steps away before Steve had grabbed her by the arm and turned her around to face him. She lashed out by trying to hit him repeatedly against his chest as she screamed. "Let me go! Let me _**go,** dammit!_"

Steve stood his ground, pulled her to him and enveloped her in his embrace. Leeann couldn't have fought him anymore if she tried, so she broke down. As she dissolved into tears, he continued to hold her as he signaled the others to put down their weapons.

"Shhhhh…shhhhhh," he soothed. "I've gotcha."

When Steve felt some of the tension leaving Leeann's body, he knew she was giving in. He loosened his hold and moved her back where he could look her in the eyes. Keeping his hands on her arms, he leaned down. " _Listen to me…_ We're going to do _everything_ we can to get Kiera back. _I promise._ "

Leeann knew she had no choice as she shook her head sadly. "She's all I have, Commander. I can't lose her."

"Call me _Steve_ …and I _do_ understand. I promise you, I do! So you have to let us help you. Now let me drive you back to our office so we can find out what you know and come up with a plan to get her back. Okay?"

He offered her an encouraging smile and she felt herself relenting.

Leeann finally gave in and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. As everyone returned to their patrol cars, she let Steve lead her to the passenger side of the SUV and help her inside. She almost smirked thinking about the chivalry that seemed to be ingrained into SEAL's….just like her sweet Travis. He had always opened doors for her, helped her with her coat, and held her hand protectively when they were out. It always made her feel cherished and loved. To Steve it may've seemed second nature to open the door for a woman…..but to _her,_ it caused a chip in the wall around her heart as if to whisper, _"You can trust him."_

She had no choice. If she wanted her sweet Kiera back, Leeann knew she was going to have to trust Steve McGarrett to do it.


	3. Chapter 3

**I am so happy you are enjoying this story! Thank you for your encouragement and reviews! Now let's see how Steve and the team get Kiera back!**

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Leaving her in the car, Steve told Duke to dismiss the other officers before asking Danny to follow him back to HQ. Leeann was still fighting the urge to go after Kiera herself, but since Steve had been clever enough to grab the keys to her SUV, she was effectively at his mercy. Besides, she couldn't deny the small voice inside which seemed to quietly insist she could trust this man. Leeann had always prided herself on being a good judge of character…..and her instincts rarely mislead her…so she sighed and felt herself giving in as she watched him walking back towards her vehicle.

Steve McGarrett was unmistakably a Navy SEAL. Even without Sam Denning giving her that information, she would have known in the way he carried himself…..the way he moved…..In the sense of confidence and control evident in his body language. Travis had been the same way and it seemed to be something born within every man on his team. It was just an innate part of the SEAL character. Leeann felt her heart twist inside of her: She missed Travis so much. How she wished he was here to help her through this.

Seeing her watching him approach, Steve offered her a small smile before opening the door and getting behind the wheel. He put a hand on her shoulder. "Let's go get Kiera back, okay?" he said softly. Leeann didn't trust her voice to speak as she swallowed the lump in her throat. She nodded her head slightly before turning to look out the passenger window.

Steve looked down at his ringing phone again before answering. "Governor….Yes, sir, we have her and yes, she's fine." Steve looked at Leeann and winked. "We're headed back to the Palace now…..You have my word. I'll keep her safe…..I'll keep you posted."

Steve hung up and continued to drive as Leeann sat beside him in silence before his voice broke through her thoughts.

"Travis was a good man."

When Leeann turned towards him in surprise, Steve's gaze was focused on the road ahead of them. She saw a muscle in his jaw twitch as he bit down.

"You knew him?"

Steve nodded and glanced in her direction. "We went through BUDS together and were on several Ops together. He undoubtedly saved my ass more than once."

Leeann smiled softly but Steve saw nothing but sadness and pain in its presence. "I miss him so much. It hurts to know Kiera will never remember her Daddy. Travis loved her so much and would have given her the world."

Steve reached over to squeeze her hands gently as they were folded on her lap. "I have no doubt about that. Little girls seem to have that affect on their dads…OR their _uncles"_ he said as an afterthought.

"Do you have children?"

"No…..but I have a niece who is Kiera's age. Her name is Joannie…I don't see her often because she and my sister live in L.A., but when they _do_ visit, Mary says I spoil her. She's probably right, but it's hard not to do so. And Danny's daughter….Gracie….and his son, Charlie….They're family, too. I would do anything for those kids."

Leeann smile grew more genuine and Steve felt something stir inside. She was a beautiful woman: Long, auburn and blond curls framed her face. Her eyes were a striking shade of green with little flex of gold and the smile currently on her face masked the fear he knew she was feeling. She was a strong woman….He could see it in her eyes. Any woman courageous enough to marry a SEAL _had_ to be. He just hoped they got Kiera back quickly so he could erase her worries.

"I know better than this." Leeann spoke so quietly he barely heard her. When he looked at her curiously, she let out a long sigh. "I'm a 'Navy Brat, Commander. Then Dad began working with NCIS when I was a teenager. I saw what my mom went through when he was on tough assignments….THEN, I married a _Navy SEAL_ and absolutely knew what I was signing up for. Travis loved us…but he also loved his country and his job. I married him being fully aware of what could happen someday…I just hoped it wouldn't become **_our_** reality." She stopped for a moment before releasing another breath. "Losing him was the worst thing that ever happened to me…..When I found out they'd taken Kiera this morning, I lost it. I didn't think rationally. All I wanted to do was get her back."

"That's understandable," Steve said. "It's difficult to think rationally when family is involved."

"Yes, but like I said….. I _knew better,"_ she emphasized again. "I mean, the **first** thing I should've done was seek help…Call my Dad…Call Sam… **something** besides jumping in the car and going after her."

"Don't beat yourself up over this. Anyone else would have reacted the same way. This is your _child_ we're talking about."

"You sound like you understand."

"I understand more than you know."

He pulled in the HQ parking lot and helped her out of the SUV before ushering her into the offices. Danny was right behind them. No sooner had they walked in than Lou came out of his office looking concerned. "We have a problem."

"What's that?" Danny asked as he followed them in.

Lou held up his cell phone, "It seems the press has gotten wind of what is going on and they're ringing the phones off the hook at HPD wanting to know what's going on with 'the kidnapping of Ana Leigh's daughter'."

Leeann's heart sank as realization hit her: Of course, it would be 'news' that "Ana Leigh's daughter" had been kidnapped…..and she certainly hadn't made it difficult for them to find out something was wrong; especially with her panicked reaction that day.

"How do they even **know** about this?!" Steve asked angrily. " **We** sure as hell haven't said anything!"

"It's hard to say," Lou began. "Someone at the school or one of the parents could have tipped them off as soon as Kiera was taken…or someone who witnessed HPD pulling Leeann over could have called them. It's not hard for the press to research a license plate number surrounded by police vehicles and link things together."

Steve grimaced. This was partially his fault. He'd been so focused on getting Leeann in so they could rescue Kiera themselves that he'd temporarily forgotten Leeann was somewhat of a celebrity.

He ran a palm over his face in frustration and sighed. "Okay…We have to hold them off for now. The last thing we need to focus on is the press wanting a story."

"This is my fault," Leeann whispered shakily. "If I would've come to you in the beginning instead of acting like a freaking **maniac** , they may not even know what was going on. I mean, I **_know better_**!"

Steve grabbed her hand supportively and she looked up to him. " ** _Stop_** saying that…..Do you understand me?!" His voice was insistent and firm.

When she blinked tears away, he continued. "It's going to be okay," he assured her. "We may be able to use this to our advantage…..but right now we need to talk. I need to know everything **you** know about who may have taken Kiera."

Steve led her to a conference room where the rest of the team followed and sat down. Danny brought her a bottle of water. She took it gratefully and took a long drink.

"So tell us what happened," Steve said.

"I dropped Kiera off at school just like I always do. I walked her in, talked to her teacher for a few minutes, and kissed her goodbye as she was walking towards the playground." Leeann's eyes began to fill so Steve reached over to take her hand in his again.

"What happened next?" he prompted softly.

"I left to go to the gym to work out, but I got a phone call on my way from an unknown number." She stopped again as she choked back a sob. "They told me they had Kiera and I had to do exactly what they said or they would kill her."

Steve squeezed her hand before Lou handed her a tissue.

Steve looked at Jerry. "Trace her calls from this morning. We may be able to get a lead on where the number came from."

"But it was a 'private number'." Leeann said.

"We have our ways," Steve winked.

"Right….Being a Navy SEAL and all…" she quipped.

"Well, _that_ …..and the fact that Jerry is a genius when it comes to hunting things down."

Jerry couldn't help but feel his chest puff out at Steve's vote of confidence. He shook his head in agreement before getting up to do just that. "Thank you, Commander….I'll get right on it."

"Have you had any other suspicious calls lately?" Steve continued. "Anything else that would indicate you were being watched or targeted?"

"I don't think so…"

"Think about recent outings with Kiera…or even when you were alone," Tani said. "Even the smallest detail could help. Has anyone made you feel uncomfortable?"

Leeann looked at Tani as recollection crossed her face.

"A couple of weeks ago," she answered as her face grew blank thinking about an awkward situation she'd had at a book signing. "I was doing a book signing in L.A. following an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel."

" _Jimmy Kimmel?_ " Steve asked surprised.

Trying to break some of the tension, Tani spoke up again, " _Famous author_ …. _New York Times Best Seller…_ Remember, Boss? Try to keep up."

Steve grimaced….then smiled causing a small chuckle from Leeann.

"Yes, _Jimmy Kimmel_ ," she confirmed. " I was promoting my new book and did his show. The next morning, I did two signings before flying back home. I noticed the same man all three places. He was watching me."

"That didn't strike you as unusual?" Steve asked.

"Not necessarily. I mean most of my fans are women, so when men show up to signings, it doesn't go unnoticed. However, it's also not completely unheard of. This guy was different, though. It wasn't just that he was _watching_ me…..It was more like he was _leering_ at me, if you know what I mean. There was a look in his eyes that made me uncomfortable to me."

"Did he say anything to you?"

Leeann took in a deep breath. "He mostly just watched me. Then, at the second signing, he got in line with those having me sign books. When he got to me, I reached for his book, so I could sign it. He held on to it and said, 'You'll be seeing me again soon, Ms. Carlyle.'"


	4. Chapter 4

Everyone sat up straighter.

"He said 'Carlyle' instead of 'Leigh'?" Lou asked.

"Yes…..but again, it's not unheard of. Not everyone knows my real name…..but fans who follow me closely know that Ana Leigh is just my _pen name_."

As Steve continued to watch her, he knew she was hiding something.

He leaned forward to put his elbows on the table and turned to her with a penetrating gaze. "What aren't you telling us?"

She fidgeted in her seat and swallowed. Steve didn't break her gaze.

 _Interrogation 101_ , Leeann thought dryly. _Break them down with a death stare._

"It's not important….What we need to do right now is **find** Kiera!" Leeann said. "It was just a crazy fan…..That's all. Can we please focus on _finding my daughter_?!"

"Indulge me," Steve demanded softly.

Leeann sighed in frustration and stood up. "Okay fine!" She turned back to Steve. "Before he left, he handed me an envelope. When I opened it later, it was a 'Sympathy' card."

"A sympathy card? Why?"

"Yes, a sympathy card…..for the loss of my husband." All eyes were intently focused on her. "I got a lot of them after Travis died. It was right after my first book was released and both my manager and publicist said it was just the fans way of trying to connect with me on some level . But… _this guy_ had also enclosed a black silk scarf, and….." She looked at Steve helplessly before continuing. "…and he'd written a quote from my last book. _'_ "

"What is the quote? And why a black scarf?" Junior asked.

Tani caught Leeann's gaze and Leeann realized the only woman in the room had read her books. It was comforting; Especially when Tani spoke up to help fill in the blanks.

"The black scarf was used in the second novel as a signal from the female character as to when she was alone," Tani said. She could have said more….. ** _so_** much more….but she left it at that.

"And the quote?" Junior asked again.

Leeann let out a frustrated sigh…..albeit shaky as well. "You would have to read the book to have a frame of reference," she began. "But essentially he quoted a text message from one character to the other that said 'Just confirming our appointment scheduled for January 15th. Please let me know if we need to reschedule."

"Fill in the blanks for us, Leeann," Steve said frustration evident in his voice. "What the hell does this mean?"

"The two main characters were a CIA Agent and a Navy SEAL. They were working together to bring down a terrorist ring that had political ties to the U.S. They would meet also meet periodically to…rendezvous."

"Hence the 'erotic' elements of the book, I take it?" Lou quipped.

Leeann shook her head. "Right."

"Okay, so assuming you got this message a couple of weeks ago…..and today is January 15th….Please tell me you reported the message from the psycho sending you a scarf," Danny said.

Leeann didn't answer.

"You didn't report it?!" Steve asked as he stood up in frustration. "What the **hell** , Leeann?!"

"Listen to me! You have to understand….My books are political thrillers…but like we've already established, they also have….." She looked at Steve. "…Ummmm… _erotic_ elements to them. Those can attract a certain type of fan. I've had several disturbing letters over the past several years that were concerning to my manager but nothing ever came of them. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary with this guy. I assumed he was just another creep who wanted to live out a fantasy from the books. "

Steve didn't like the sound of that. Wanting to live out a fantasy from a book could indicate they were after a stalker rather than a terrorist. Either one was dangerous, but it would be easier to deal with a stalker who had come unhinged than an international terrorist bent on revenge. However, a stalker wanting to live out some sort of erotic fantasy with her wasn't something he was going to allow on any level.

"So tell me about this guy. What did he look like?"

Leeann shrugged, "Pretty average. Maybe 6 feet tall…Dark blond hair….Thin…..He was dressed nice, though; Dress pants and a nice shirt with expensive shoes. He had an accent….I think it was probably British. That's really all I can tell you."

"Did you receive any kind of ransom call?"

She shook her head negatively.

"Then where in God's name were you going when we pulled you over today?!" Steve asked.

"I found out Assad is on the island….so I assumed he was involved." She answered as she stuck her chin out defiantly.

"But you don't know that for sure?" Danny asked.

"NO! But who else could it be?!"

Steve took in a calming breath and willed himself to not lecture her on the carelessness of what she'd done.

"Okay, so let's assume for a second that Assad isn't behind this because it would make our jobs easier." Steve said optimistically. "Tani and Junior, go to Kiera's school and talk to everyone…..and I mean _everyone_ …..who was **on** the playground, **around** the playground, or within **viewing distance** of the playground today. We need to know everything they saw."

They both got up from the table to leave just as Jerry opened up the conference room door, "That may not be necessary. We have someone calling claiming to be Kahlil Assad."

One of Leeann's hands went to her chest as her other grabbed Steve's forearm. Everyone got up and walked to the common area around the smart table.

"Patch them through, Jer." Steve instructed. After confirmation that the call had come through, Steve began. "This is Commander Steve McGarrett with the Five-0 task force. Who am I speaking to?"

"Commander McGarrett….." the voice began and Steve felt his heart sink. "How fortuitous to be speaking with you again. Imagine my delight when I realized our paths were going to cross again."

Steve cast a cautionary glance to Leeann willing her to be quiet and let him handle the conversation. She grabbed his hand in agreement and gave a slight squeeze, but he found her shaking.

"Assad." He answered sardonically.

"The one and only," he confirmed.

"You know the rules, Assad. We don't negotiate with terrorists."

He felt Leeann tense beside him, so he squeezed her hand again.

 _Trust me_ ….it seemed to say.

"Oh I am very aware of your country's policies, Commander. However, as this is not an international situation, I am believing you will reconsider. After all, you believe I have the child. Correct?"

"Are you saying you DON'T?"

"I may be a lot of things, Commander, but I do have my scruples. Unlike many of my counterparts, I do not involve women or children in my… _negotiations_."

"Why should I believe you?"

"It is true," Assad answered. "Commander Carlyle and his team cost me a great deal of money and other 'income'. But they paid for that error with their lives. I considered that payment in full. However, the income I lost from them is just a drop in the bucket for me. Please understand, when they were dead…I considered the debt paid. There is no need for me to go after anyone else."

Leeann choked back a sob and a hand flew to her mouth as she tried to stay silent listening to the man who had viciously murdered her husband. Steve put his arms around her and pull her close. She quietly cried into his shoulder.

"So what is this about, Assad?" Steve asked. His instincts told him this could get very messy…..Assuming Assad was telling him the truth. "If you don't have the girl, how do you know what's going on?"

"Let's just say, the one who took the girl **_is_** on my list. He _owes me._ So as fate would have it, we may have to work together this time, Commander McGarrett. I get him…..You get the girl…..and all is right with the world."

Steve cast cautionary glances at his team. "I'm going to transfer this call to my office so we can talk privately," he told Assad.

"Whatever you wish, Commander."

When Assad was 'on hold', Steve loosened his hold on Leeann and put his palms on either side of her face forcing her to look at him. He saw fire…..and pain…behind her vibrant green eyes.

"Stay here," he insisted. "I'm going to talk to him and see what I can find out."

"Like HELL you will!" she spat. "I want to hear what he has to say!"

" ** _Listen to me,_** " he demanded. "If you want to get Kiera back, you have to _trust me._ I will talk to him…..and I'll let you ALL know what we come up with."

He looked around his team before turning back to Leeann. "Kahlil Assad is not someone to mess with. If he has knowledge of WHO has Kiera or WHERE she is, we need to find that out ASAP. I've dealt with him before. Sometimes we have to deal with the devil to get what we want. Do you understand me?"

Leeann was hesitant but finally shook her head in agreement.

Steve walked towards his office and looked back towards her with an encouraging smile before closing his door and picking up the call.

"What can you tell me?" he began his conversation with Assad.

**************************h50*********************h50*************************h50

The conversation began as Leeann stood helpless.

Danny came to her side. "Steve will find out where she is," he said confidently. "And we'll do whatever we can to get her back."

"I know," Leeann said and she pressed fingers to her temples to try and ease the headache that could quickly turn in to a migraine.

"Come with me," Tani said conspiratorially. "I have some aspirin in my office. Let's go have some girl talk."


End file.
